


Orange Is The New Pale

by joanie1985



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 21:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7330489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joanie1985/pseuds/joanie1985
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert and some fake tan!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Orange Is The New Pale

**Author's Note:**

> So after seeing a pic of Ryan all tan, we were having a joke about how ED would explain that in Yorkshire, this happened!

The Yorkshire weather was so depressing, it was summer and as usual in the wonderful UK, that meant more rain than sunshine, umbrellas instead of sunhats; jackets and scarves instead of shorts and flip flops. God, what Robert wouldn't give for a holiday in the sun right about now. He knew that wasn't an option though. As much as he'd enjoyed the short trip to Wales with Aaron and Liv a few weeks previously, that didn't mean he wouldn't really like a proper summer holiday. There was still too much going on though. He still hadn't heard anything more from the police regarding the Ryan situation, Chas was still at the clinic and Liv wasn't done with school yet. She'd had more than enough days off recently, they couldn't take her out of anymore classes. Not to mention that Aaron had a lot on with the scrapyard, Adam had been spending a lot of time taking care of Vic and while she was starting to get back to normal now, Aaron still had to pick up some slack. Not that it was much different for Robert, Nicola still wasn't on top form after the fire at Mill Cottage. She had a long way to go, and even Robert wasn't such a bastard that he would expect her to just get back to work as if nothing had happened. Her recovery would take time, so he was holding things together at Home James. What that all equated to though, was no holiday for him this summer.

As he stood in front of the mirror in his room at Keeper's Cottage, where he rarely spent any time nowadays, he'd really just popped back to get some more stuff to take back to the Woolpack, he frowned at his reflection. Not something he usually did, he generally enjoyed looking at himself in the mirror, but today, he just looked so pale. Not that he was ever particularly tan or anything, but to him, he just seemed even paler than usual, and he didn't like it. He didn't need to look as dreary as the weather outside. 

Robert headed into the bathroom, opening the cabinet to find what he was looking for. Moving various bottles aside until he found the one he was looking for, he grasped it in his hand and quickly went back to his room, he didn't want to be seen with this.

It was a little while later, he was due to meet Aaron for dinner at the pub, and he was one again checking his reflection, much more satisfied now with how he looked. He was taken a bit by surprise when a shout came through his door.

“Rob?” It was Victoria, “You haven't seen my fake tan anywhere have you? Only me and Adam are going out later and I really need it,” she explained through the door.

Even though she couldn't see him, Robert wasted no time in chucking the now empty bottle under his bed, clearing his throat, “No!” he said emphatically, “how would I know where it is? Did you ask Adam, he looks the type to use the stuff.”

Outside the room, a confused Victoria made a face, “okay, I was only asking,” she said, moving on to continue her search.

When he was sure she was out of the way, he headed out of his room and down the stairs, he hadn't expected his sister to be down there, and she looked at him, eyebrows raising, and she bit her lip to stop from laughing.

“What?” Robert asked her defensively.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head, “just, you're a little bit streaky,” she finally dissolved into giggles as Robert once again ran for the mirror, trying to ignore the cackles of his younger sister behind him. 

“Looks fine to me,” he insisted, okay so maybe he'd overdone it a little bit, a little too dark considering the weather, but he thought he looked good.  
A laughing Victoria walked over to him, “I know, I know, I'm just messing, you look really handsome. Where have you been the Costa del Robblesfield?” she snorted at her own joke as Robert shook his head at her, heading for the door, and she had to follow him. “Oh come on! Don't be like that!” she shouted as she followed him towards the pub, “maybe people will just believe it's raining Tango!”

He glared back at her, she was still chuckling, but he was far from amused. “You're not funny, Vic,” he told her.

“I know, I'm sorry, it's just, Orange is really your colour. Orange is the new Pale,” she insisted, biting even harder on her lip.

“Seriously Victoria, I'm meeting Aaron, drop it.”

“Okay, I will, not another word,” she promised. Not that she needed to say anything else, he walked inside and Liv spoke up,

“Oi, has anyone told Willy Wonka he's lost one of his Oompa Loompa's?” she questioned smartly, once again causing Victoria to laugh hysterically. The two girls were practically holding each other up. It only got worse when it was Charity's turn to join in, the older woman unable to help herself from having a dig,

“Is that what it is? I just thought Garfield had taken human form.”

“Are you all done now?” Robert asked, looking at the women with raised eyebrows, “any other jokes you need to get out of your system.”

“No but I know one Aaron needs to get out of his,” Charity replied with a smirk, and upon seeing the confused look on his face, she elaborated, “you!”

“Oi oi! That's enough,” Aaron finally spoke up, he'd been sitting at a table, watching the whole thing. It was admittedly very funny, “leave him alone, I think he looks good with a tan,” he said, giving his boyfriend a wink.

When the older man joined him at the table, he leaned in and nudged him lightly, speaking loud enough for the others to hear him, but looking right at his boyfriend, “Besides, Orange is my favourite colour.”

This time, even Robert laughed.


End file.
